Canine Character in Call of Duty

Call of Duty: Ghosts, the tenth iteration of the popular warfare video game, features a unique character that defends himself without a gun and runs around on four legs. Riley the military dog has managed to become the breakout star of the game, even though "Ghosts" doesn't come out until next month. The working pup represents one of the biggest, and most popular, technological leaps forward in the next generation of Call of Duty.

After footage released earlier this year revealed that "Ghosts" would feature a four-legged soldier, Riley quickly inspired fan art, doggy cosplay, and an unofficial Twitter account, @CollarDuty, which has over 28,000 followers.

Canine characters are not new to video games, but Riley uses cutting edge technology to create an experience where he actually feels like a real partner. "Ghosts" developers wanted to create a canine hero that would not only assist players, but could be directed to carry out missions at certain points throughout the game.

Early video clips show Riley taking a helicopter down by lunging at the vehicle and biting the pilot. The courageous pup can also create distractions to thwart enemies and is able to give players a unique view of the battlefield through a camera mounted on his back.

The "Ghosts" developers took great care to make Riley as realistic as possible. First they met with a retired Navy SEAL and his former military dog to learn about how the two worked together in action. They then cast two Schutzhund champions, Ruger the German Shepherd and Rico the Belgian Malinois, to have their movements digitally captured for the game.

Ruger and Rico were outfitted with custom motion-capture gear made from form-fitting suits intended for animals with skin conditions. The team later nixed booties because the dogs didn't move naturally in the footwear.

I'm not a fan of violent video games, but knowing all the work that went into making Riley come to life makes me want to pick up a controller!